Projects Catalogue for AAU satellite /DRAFT
by Rafael Wisniewski (I8), Ole Thybo (15), Stig Munk-Nielsen (I14), Brian Nielsen (I16), Thomas
Bak (I8), Lasse Rosendahl (I14)
Description of the AAU satellite Project
During the autumn and the spring semesters of 2001/2002 the students of Aalborg University will
build and launch the first AAU spacecraft. The spacecraft project is a joint venture of the Institute
of Electronic Systems, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Computer Science, and
Institute of Energy Technology giving the students a unique chance to experience a real engineering
project with real engineering problems.
CubeSat Concept
A CubeSat concept developed by Stanford University has
been chosen for the first AAU satellite. The reasons are a
fast development phase (within one year) and inexpensive
launch possibility, which fits ideally to project based
education form used at Aalborg University.
The CubeSat is a standardized platform for small orbital
experiments. The entire satellite weight is less than one
kilogram. The 10-centimeter cubes are designed to house
small experiments that otherwise would be cost-prohibitive
to flight validate. Universities, alongside industrial
interests, are able to place their own CubeSats into orbit using a standardized deployment system
developed by California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly). The deployment system is known
as P-POD (Poly Pico-satellite Orbital Deployer). It mounts to various launch vehicles. In this way a
particular CubSat team are not concerned by the issues related to the launch. Stanford University in
collaboration with a firm One Stop Satellite Solution (OSSS) plans to launch the first 18 CubeSats
with Dnepr-rocket form Baikonur Kosmodrom in Kazakhstan November 15th 2001.
Financing
Private foundations and the Aalborg University will finance the AAU satellite project. Furthermore,
the project has already established contacts with firms who are willing to support the spacecraft, e.g.
Danionics (batteries) and Terma (electronic components).
Organization
All the subsystems on-board will be designed and manufactured by the students. The each project
student-group will be responsible for a particular subsystem. The stress will be not only on the
design, but also on the documentation and engineering communication with other groups working
for the AAU satellite project. As usual there will be assigned a project supervisor, but there will be
a free access to other supervisors in the AAU satellite project. Current status of the projects and
taken decisions will be presented in weekly project meetings. There will be established a common
strategy for the choice of components and materials, due to requirements on the level of withstood
radiation, shock, vibration, and temperature gradient. To make the project startup phase smooth
Prof. Robert Twiggs responsible for CubeSat project will visit Aalborg University. A number of
talks about the aerospace will be organized. The general topics such as the space environment,
radiation, orbit modeling, launchers, ground stations will be given. The lecturers will be primarily
industrial engineers with experience in the satellite design and manufacturing.
Work Packages
The CubeSat project is divided into the following Work Packages (WPs): the System, the Platform,
and the Payload. The System comprises the overall system structure, interfaces on the subsystem
level and interfaces with the P-POD. The Platform encompasses mechanical structure, harness,
electrical power subsystem, command and data handling subsystem, communication subsystem, and
attitude control subsystem. The Payload comprises of all the tasks connected with the design, and
mechanical/electrical interfaces between the spacecraft and the payload.
System Work Packages
WP1. Mission analysis
 Support of the payload design,
 Establishing and maintaining Mission Requirement Specification,
 Establishing and maintenances of Missions Operations Requirements.
WP2. Launch Vehicle and CubeSat Coordination and Contact
 Negotiate a launch contact on P-POD with One Stop Satellite Solution,
 Handle all interfaces to P-POD with respect to schedule, prepare documentation on tests and
requirements,
 Define interfaces to P-POD,
 Establish separation mechanism requirements for P-POD.
WP3. On-Board System Engineering
 Develop and maintain project documentations,
 Define satellite electrical configuration,
 Develop and maintain structural and thermal test configurations,
 Generate tele-commands and telemetry lists,
 Maintain mass, power and magnetic budgets,
 Perform technical co-ordination of interfaces on the sub-systems level and payload,
 Develop and maintain power consumption profile,
 Define overall timing concept,
 Define the on-board storage and processing requirements.
WP4. Ground Segment
 Adapt the old Ørsted ground station at Aalborg University to the needs of CubSat.
Platform
WP5. Spacecraft Structure
 Structure modeling, design and manufacturing,
 Spacecraft mechanisms – deployable antenna, solar arrays,
 Thermal, vibration, shock test.
 Harness design manufacturing and test.
WP6. Electrical Power Subsystem
 Battery unit,
 Solar panels,
 Power control unit,
 Power distribution unit.
WP7. Command and Data Handling Subsystem (CDH)
 On-board software development and test,
 CDH hardware.
WP8 Communication Subsystem
 Communication unit,
 Communication antennas.
WP9 Attitude Control Subsystem (ACS)
 Control System design,
 Sensors and actuators,
 Implementation and test,
WP10 Ground Station
 System for ground data processing,
 Web-base user interface.
Payload
Projects
Based on the work packages described in the last section the following student-projects are
identified: Mechanical Structure and Harness for AAU Satellite, Electrical Power Subsystem for
AAU Satellite, Communication Subsystem for AAU Satellite, and Data Handling Subsystem for
AAU Satellite, On-board Computer for AAU Satellite, Thermal Design for AAU Satellite, Attitude
Control Subsystem for AAU Satellite, Payload Design for AAU Satellite, Ground Station Software
for AAU Satellite.
Mechanical Structure and Harness for AAU Satellite
The objectives of this project are:
 To perform detailed analysis of the structural behavior of the satellite,
 To define mass and inertia characteristics,
 To perform design of the mechanical interface with P-POD,
 To design structural model,
 To perform mass properties analysis of the individual satellite elements for MoI and CoG,
 To complete flight parts and material list,
 To perform the design of the cable harness,
 To perform design of the antenna deployment mechanism,
 To establish Mechanical Ground Support Equipment,
 To perform thermal, vibration, vacuum, shock tests,
 Prepare progress reports.
Electrical Power Subsystem for AAU Satellite
The objectives of this project are:
 To perform the design of the battery unit,
 To perform the design of the solar panels or adopt the existing CubSat solar arrays,
 To perform the design of the Power Control Unit,
 To perform the design of the Power Distribution Unit,
 To complete flight parts and material list,
 To provide input for power budget,
 To prepare progress reports.
Communication
The objectives of this project are:
 To perform the design of the communication unit,
 To perform the design of the communication antennas,
 To perform antenna pattern and mock-up and testing,
 To complete flight parts and material list,
 To prepare progress reports.
Data Handling Subsystem for AAU Satellite
The objectives of this project are:
 To design and implement boot software,
 To establish data exchange protocols
 To design and implement on-board data handling software,
 To design and implement software for handling telemetry, tele-commands and system
diagnostics,
 To design and implement or decide on an existing real-time kernel for attitude control,
 To design and implement software for a system monitor,
 To test the software,
 To prepare progress reports.
On-board Computer for AAU Satellite
The objectives of this project are:
 To establish microprocessor requirements,
 To perform the design of the onboard computer,
 Design low-level drives,
 To perform the design of driver electronics for on-board actuators and sensors
(magnetorquers, a sun sensor, a magnetometer),
 To design and manufacture magnetorquers,
 To establish electrical ground support equipment,
 To complete flight parts and material list,
 To prepare progress reports.
Thermal Design for AAU Satellite
The objectives of this project are:
 To develop a thermal model of the spacecraft,
 To perform a detailed thermal analysis of the satellite and suggest configuration,
 To define thermal paint and areas to paint,
 To prepare progress reports.
Attitude Control Subsystem for AAU Satellite
This subsystem is designed in wto projects running in parallel:
1. Attitude Control Algorithms and ACS Software for AAU Satellite
 To define requirements for attitude control system,
 To design attitude control algorithms,
 To validate attitude control design,
 To define requirements for magnetorquers,
 To define requirements for a magnetometer,
 To define requirements for sun sensor,
 To implement attitude control algorithms,
 To design software objects for attitude control system,
 To test the implement,
 To prepare progress reports,
2. Attitude Determination and Fault Detection for AAU Satellite
 To define requirements for attitude determination,
 To design attitude determination,
 To validate attitude determination,
 To define requirements for fault detection,
 To design fault detection,
 To define requirements for ACS Supervisor,
 To establish design for ACS supervisor,
 To validate ACS supervisor,
 To prepare progress reports.
Payload Design for AAU Satellite,
Web-Based Ground Station Software for AAU Satellite
The objectives of this project are:
 To adopt existing Ørsted ground station for the AAU satellite,
 To design and implement software for receiving, extracting and presentation of the
telemetry form the satellite,
 To design and implement SW for compressing, and sending tele-commands to the satellite,
 To design and implement mechanism for security check,
 To design and implement web-based user interface,
 To prepare progress reports.
Time Schedule
1. Presentation of the projects, student team is established.
2. Final definition of the projects
3. Workshop with Robert Twiggs from Standford
University (responsible for CubeSat) in Denmark
4. Start of the student-projects
5. Preliminary design review
6. Critical design review
7. Engineering model is finished
8. Flight model is finished
9. Opsendelse
June 2001
End of August 2001
Beginning of September 2001
September 2001
December 2001
February 2002
April 2002
May 2002
June 2002